Former North Islander galloper Who Dares Wins continued his remarkable progression since shifting south by winning the Gore Cup on Saturday.
The 5yr-old finished powerfully to score his sixth career win, all of which have come since he moved to Tony and Lyn Prendergast’s West Melton stable.
The trainers’ keen eye for horses was responsible for the galloper landing in their stable after being trained in the North Island.
"Stephen McKee had two to lease and I looked at his tapes and thought ‘he is a nice big horse’," Lyn Prendergast said.
Choosing the horse has paid off with two premier wins from him over New Zealand Cup week, as well as his Gore Cup victory.
He has the potential to get even better over staying trips like Saturday’s 2000m if he learns to settle better in his races.
"He has taken a while. He settled better yesterday but as soon as something came alongside him down the back, he started over-racing again," Prendergast said.
"If he could just get his breathing right and relax, it would help him no end."
Who Dares Wins is likely to head to Riccarton this weekend rather than race at Wingatui the following weekend.
"I am not so sure he will do 2400m at this stage, with the way he is racing, so I don’t think we will have a crack at the Dunedin Gold Cup."
Jockey Samantha Wynne has clicked with the horse and ridden him in five of his six wins, including in the Gore Cup. She will not be able to reunite with the horse at Riccarton after she received a seven-day suspension for whip use on Saturday.
It spoiled what was otherwise a good day in the saddle for the Canterbury rider, who also scored on the Ellis Winsloe-trained Accidental Offside. Ascot Park trainer Jo-Ann Gordon also scored a double at Gore with Shakti in race 6 and Rock Solid in race 9, both ridden by apprentice Krishna Mudhoo.
